Diving apparatus.



H. STBLZNBR.

DIVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.22, 1912.

1,073,370. Patented Sept 16, 1913.

Witnesqea: @4 M 05. K LW, Z A

Inwentor:

M Attorney.

I apparatus from being damaged. In the emis always an accumulation of the air eX-' UNIT-ED lei KEEN? UFFICE.

HERMANN STELZNER, 0F LUIBECK, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF DRAGER- WERK, HEINR. & BERNH. DRAGER, OF I UBEOK. GERMANY.

DIVING APPARATUS.

1 073,370. Specification of Letters Patent atent ed Sept. Hi. i913.

Application filed August 22, 1912. Serial No. 716,475.

To all whom it may] concern Be it known that I, HERMANN STELzNnR, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at 3 Uhlandstrasse,Lubeck, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diving Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification. In diving apparatus it is of great importance to provide a safety valve at a readily accessible part. of the dress, on the helmet for example. In particular it. is necessary that upon leaving the water the expanded air may find an outlet in order to prevent the dress from bursting and other parts of the ploynient of simple non-return 'alves as safety valves it may, however, happen that in certain positions water will enter the dress through the valve and in some circumstances penetrate the breathing passages, air escaping simultaneously and water and air flowing past each other. In order to obviate this danger, in accordance with the. present invention it rendered impossible for air and ater'to flow past each other at the valve by providing a system of passages fitted externally to the valve opening, this system comprising passages bent in such amauner that in every position of the valve the water penetrating from the exterior invariably forms a water seal with the possibility of an air cushion forming above it. This renders it impossible for water entering to pass the air and enter the apparatus.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents the novelsafety valve in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 shows the addition to the safety valve separately in side elevation and Fig. 3 illustrates the valve in section. Fig. 4 is a. detail view of a moditied construction.

In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated the system of passages is constituted by a bent or coiled tube a one end of which opens intoa cap 5 covering the valve opening while its other end 0 opens freely outward. As will be seen from the drawings the coil tube a is distorted or.bent out of the path of the true helix, and thusno matter in what position the diver may be there pelled from the valve d. This accumulation of the air is caused by the formation of a water seal or seals within the tube a, and it prevents the ingress of any water to the valve (Z. Upon the valvebody (3, which 1s applied by the spring 0 against. the seat-f on the wall of the divers helmet g, an inner press button It and an outer button or handle i are-provided, so that the valve can be opened from the exterior or from the interior at will. The coiled tube a atfords protection to the handle z' which does not project so far and which is surrounded by the said tube thereby rendering it impossible for external objects to become caught on said handle. 7

Instead of being constituted by av coiled tube as illustrated at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the system of passages can be constituted by a cap or box in which helical windings or plane partitions with staggered openings can be. arranged. At Fig. 4. I have illus trated a series of partitions j through which are formed a number of openings Z: arranged in a staggered manner. These partitions are placed within a suitable inclosiug casing and the arrangement of the openings 7:: tlu-rethrough causes the accumulation of air and the formation of a water seal or seals in the same manner as in the construction previously described.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure .by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. Diving"apparatus having in combination a divers helmet, a non-return valve mounted thereon, and means for preventing the outside water from entering the valve in all positions.

9. In diving apparatus the combination with a non-return valve, of a volute shaped system of tubes which are adapted in all positions of the apparatus to accumulate air expelled through the valve and to prevent- .the valve opening and a volute-shaped system of tubes connected to the said cap.

In a diving apparatus, in combination, a divers helmet, a non-return valve mounted on the said helmet, a cap covering the said valve and a helical tube one end of which is free and the other end communicating with thesaid cap.

6. Diving apparatus having means for automatically reducing the pressure within the apparatus upon a reduction of the external pressure, said means comprising a non-return valve communicating with the interior of the apparatus, in combination with means for preventing the water passing to said Valve in all positions of the apparatus.

7. Diving apparatus having means for reducing the air pressure within the apparatus upon a reduction of the external pressure,

saidmeans comprising a non-return valve, a valve seating, and I'ESlllel'lt means to retain said valve upon its seating, means for opening said valve from the interior or exterior HERMANN STELZNER.

Witnesses: OSCAR OR'rW NHLER, JOHN WULF. 

